2022 Holocene Pinot Noir Memorialis
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Tasting notes
Earthy and decidedly savory, the 2022 Pinot Noir Memorialis grumbles up with a burst of herbs, white pepper and woodland berries. This mixes vividly ripe fruit with chalky minerals that coat the palate as a wave of juicy acidity maintains fantastic balance. It finishes dramatically long, staining the senses in wild berry concentration as gently grippy tannins tug at the cheeks and hints of black licorice sizzle. Wow, this transports me to the Rhône. This is 100% whole cluster Pinot from Yamhill-Carlton.
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Eric Guido, Vinous
Eric Guido, Vinous
More reviews and scores
It indeed happens, but it’s not often that I re-taste a wine and think, "I underestimated this." Well, that’s precisely what transpired when I tasted the 2022 Pinot Noir Memorialis at the recent Vinous Icons event in Miami, Florida. Upon tasting with Todd Alexander, I asked for another sample to be sent to make sure that lightning would strike twice, and it certainly did. My original note stands in most ways, yet all aspects seem to be amplified. This is earthy and savory with perfectly integrated whole-cluster complexity. It bursts with peppery herbs, crushed rocks and exotic florals before giving way to a cascade of wild berries. It’s ripe in style, yet the balance is on point: red and black fruits meet an unmistakable licorice tinge as tantalizing acidity maintains amazing freshness. The 2022 tapers off long and sapid as sweet tannins and a staining of primary concentration resonate. It’s almost impossible to resist today, yet it has the harmony to mature beautifully over the next decade or more.